Brothers in Arms | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 17 May 1985 | |||
Recorded | 2 November 1984 – 31 March 1985[1] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Vertigo | |||
Producer | ||||
Dire Straits chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Brothers in Arms | ||||
|
Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 17 May 1985[2] through Vertigo Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It was the first album in history to sell over one million copies in CD format.[3]
Brothers in Arms spent a total of 14 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart (including ten consecutive weeks between 18 January and 22 March 1986), nine weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and 34 weeks at number one on the Australian Albums Chart. It was the first album to be certified ten-times platinum in the UK[4] and is the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history.[5] It is certified nine-times platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is one of the world's best-selling albums, having sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.[6][7][8]
The album won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards; the 20th Anniversary reissue won another Grammy in 2006 for Best Surround Sound Album. In 2020, Rolling Stone placed Brothers in Arms at number 418 on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Q magazine ranked Brothers in Arms number 51 on its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever".
Recording
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/AIR_Studio_ruins_Montserrat_May_2013.jpg/220px-AIR_Studio_ruins_Montserrat_May_2013.jpg)
Brothers in Arms was recorded from November 1984 to February 1985 at AIR Studios on the island of Montserrat, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean.[9] The album was produced by songwriter Mark Knopfler and Neil Dorfsman, who had engineered Dire Straits' 1982 album Love over Gold and Knopfler's 1983 soundtrack album Local Hero.[10]
Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums recorded on a Sony 24-track digital tape machine. The decision to move to digital recording came from Knopfler's constant striving for better sound quality. "One of the things that I totally respected about him," Dorfsman observed, "was his interest in technology as a means of improving his music. He was always willing to spend on high-quality equipment."[10]
Before arriving at Montserrat, Knopfler had written all the songs and rehearsed them with the band. The studio lineup was Knopfler (vocals, guitar), John Illsley (bass), Hal Lindes (guitar), Alan Clark (keyboards), Terry Williams (drums) and new member Guy Fletcher (keyboards, backing vocals). Lindes left the band early on in the sessions, and was replaced in December 1984 by Jack Sonni, a New York-based guitarist and longstanding friend of Knopfler. (Sonni's only contribution to the album was the guitar synthesizer on "The Man's Too Strong", with all the other guitar parts played by Knopfler).[11]
The studio itself was small, with a 20-by-25-foot (6 m × 8 m) recording space that offered virtually no isolation. "It was a good-sounding studio," Dorfsman later recalled, "but the main room itself was nothing to write home about. The sound of that studio was the desk," referring to the Neve 8078 board.[10] Knopfler and Dorfsman utilised the limited space to best effect, placing the drum kit in the far left corner, facing the control room, miked with Sennheiser MD 421s on the toms, an Electro-Voice RE20 and AKG D12 on the kick drum, a Shure SM57 and AKG C451 with a 20 dB pad on the snare, 451s for overheads and the hi-hat, and Neumann U87s set back a little to capture "some kind of ambience".[10] They placed the piano in a tight booth in the far right corner of the studio, miked with AKG C414s. The Hammond B3 was placed nearby, with its Leslie speaker crammed into an airlock next to the control room. Illsley's bass amplifier was recorded inside a small vocal booth with a Neumann FET 47 and a DI unit. Knopfler's amplifiers were miked with 57s, 451s, and Neumann U67s. Fletcher's synths were placed in the control room.[10]
During the recording of "Money for Nothing", the signature sound of Knopfler's guitar may have been enhanced by a "happy accident" of microphone placement. Knopfler was using his Gibson Les Paul going through a Laney amplifier. While setting up the guitar amplifier microphones in an effort to get the "ZZ Top sound" that Knopfler sought, guitar tech Ron Eve, who was in the control room, heard the "amazing" sound before Dorfsman was finished arranging the mics. "One mic was pointing down at the floor," Dorfsman remembered, "another was not quite on the speaker, another was somewhere else, and it wasn't how I would want to set things up—it was probably just left from the night before, when I'd been preparing things for the next day and had not really finished the setup."[10] What they heard was exactly what ended up on the record; no additional processing or effects were used during the mix.[10]
According to a Sound on Sound magazine interview with Neil Dorfsman, during the first month of the recording sessions at Montserrat the performance of Terry Williams was considered to be unsuitable for the desired sound of the album.[10] According to Williams himself, he had recorded all his drum parts to a click track, which he felt hindered his ability to channel the rhythmic feel he wanted. About six weeks into the sessions, after listening to a playback of what had been recorded so far, he voiced his disappointment to Mark Knopfler over some of his own playing. Shortly after this, he was dismissed from the sessions.[12][13]
Dorfsman and Knopfler made the decision to erase Williams' contributions.[12] Williams was replaced in the sessions by jazz session drummer Omar Hakim, who re-recorded all the album's drum parts during a two-day stay before leaving for other commitments.[10] All of the drumming on the final album was performed by Hakim, with the exception of the improvised crescendo at the beginning of "Money for Nothing".[14] (In another interview, Dorfsman has said that Williams' fills and tom-toms were also used in the rest of "Money for Nothing").[15] Both Hakim and Williams are credited on the album.[16]
A defective batch of recording tape at AIR Studios resulted in the loss of part or all of three album tracks, leading to follow-up sessions being recorded at the Power Station in New York during early 1985[11] (including the addition of a Jack Sonni guitar synthesizer part to “The Man's Too Strong”)[citation needed]. During this time, overdubs were recorded with further New York musicians including Michael and Randy Brecker, Mike Mainieri (who'd previously contributed vibraphone to Love Over Gold) and percussionist Jimmy Maelen, plus trumpeter Dave Plews and Average White Band saxophonist Malcolm Duncan.
When Illsley broke both elbows after a fall whilst jogging in Central Park, several prominent New York studio bassists were hired to record or re-record several basslines on the record. Tony Levin contributed to "Why Worry". Saturday Night Live house band bassist Neil Jason was brought in for a week's work which included takes on "So Far Away", "Walk of Life", "Ride Across the River", "Your Latest Trick" and "The Man's Too Strong", although the only fully confirmed released results from the Jason sessions were the slap-style funk bassline on "One World" and "slides on my fretless — almost like a Syndrum effect" on the intro to the extended version of “Money for Nothing”.[11][17]
Although Andy Kanavan was briefly recruited as Dire Straits' new drummer, Terry Williams ended up rejoining the band for the promotional concert world tour which lasted until April 1986.[16] All the music videos that were released from the album featured Williams.[12]
Composition
[edit]Brothers in Arms has been described musically as a pop rock album.[18] The music video for "Money for Nothing" received heavy rotation on MTV, and it was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.[19] It is one of only two Dire Straits songs on a studio album not to be solely credited to Knopfler (the other being "The Carousel Waltz", which opens Making Movies), with guest vocalist Sting given a co-writing credit due to the melody of the repeated "I want my MTV" (sung by Sting) at the start echoing the melody of the Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me".[20]
"Walk of Life" was a number two hit in the UK Singles Chart in early 1986 and a number seven hit in the US Billboard Hot 100 later that year. The song was nearly left off the album, but was included after the band out-voted producer Neil Dorfsman.
On the second side of the album, three songs ("Ride Across the River", "The Man's Too Strong" and "Brothers in Arms") are lyrically focused on militarism. "Ride Across the River" uses immersive Latin American imagery, accompanied by synthesized pan flute, mariachi trumpet, a reggae-influenced drum part and eerie background noises. "The Man's Too Strong" depicts the character of an ancient soldier (or war criminal) and his fear of showing feelings as a weakness. Written during the 1982 Falklands War, "Brothers in Arms" deals with the senselessness of war.[21]
In 2007, the 25th anniversary of the war, Knopfler recorded a new version of the song at Abbey Road Studios to raise funds for British veterans who he said "are still suffering from the effects of that conflict".[22]
Artwork
[edit]The guitar featured on the front of the album cover is Mark Knopfler's 1937 14-fret National Style "O" Resonator.[23] The Style "O" line of guitars was introduced in 1930 and discontinued in 1941. The photographer was Deborah Feingold.[24] The back cover features a painting of the same guitar, by German artist Thomas Steyer. A similar image was also used, with a similar colour scheme, for the 1989 album The Booze Brothers by Brewers Droop, which features Knopfler on a few tracks.
Release
[edit]Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums directed at the CD market, and it was a full digital recording (DDD) at a time when most popular music was recorded on analog equipment. It was also released on vinyl (abridged to fit on one LP) and cassette. Producer Neil Dorfsman says the digital multitrack was mixed on an analog board with the resulting two track mix re-digitized via a Prism A/D converter and recorded on a DAT machine.[citation needed]
Brothers in Arms was the first album to sell one million copies in the CD format and to outsell its LP version. A Rykodisc employee subsequently wrote, "[In 1985 we] were fighting to get our CDs manufactured because the entire worldwide manufacturing capacity was overwhelmed by demand for a single rock title (Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms)."[25]
It was remastered and reissued with the rest of the Dire Straits catalogue in 1996 for most of the world outside the United States and on 19 September 2000 in the United States, the remastering for both reissues was done by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering using the Super Bit Mapping process.[26] In 2000, it was released on XRCD2 format, this edition was remastered by Hiromichi Takiguchi using K2 20bit technology.[27] A 20th Anniversary Edition was issued in Super Audio CD on 26 July 2005 (becoming the 3000th title for the SACD format), it featured a 5.1 surround sound remix done by Chuck Ainlay at British Grove Studios, it was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering.[28] The 5.1 mix was also released on DualDisc format with DVD-Audio 24 bit/96 kHz track on 16 August 2005. Ainlay's 5.1 remix won a Grammy for Best Surround Sound Album at the 48th Grammy Awards ceremony.[29][30] In 2006, a half-speed–mastered vinyl version of the album was issued. Mastered by Stan Ricker, this version consists of four sides on two 33 1/3 rpm discs, containing the full-length songs on vinyl for the first time. In 2013, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released a hybrid SACD mastered from the original tapes by Shawn R. Britton, it includes the original stereo mix only.[31] In 2014, a new master was released in Japan on SHM-SACD - it's made from the original analogue master tapes and contains the original LP length of the album: 47:44 min, this edition was transferred by Mick McKenna and Richard Whittaker at FX Copyroom using Direct Stream Digital. On May 19, 2014, Vertigo reissued the album on double 180g vinyl, this edition contains the full-length songs of the album, it was mastered by Bob Ludwig, Bernie Grundman and Chris Bellman from the original analogue and digital tapes, this version was also included on The Studio Albums 1978 - 1991 the previous year.[32] In 2015, Mobile Fidelity also released the album on double 45 RPM vinyl, this edition was mastered by Krieg Wunderlich.[33] The same year, the album re-entered the UK Album Charts at #8 following the record being made available at a discounted price on digital music retailers. In March 2021, a new half-speed mastered edition was released, mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell. The release was a double-LP, 45 rpm, 180 gram edition, with the complete version of the album, for only the second time (the first being issued by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab in 2015). The album has spent a total of 356 weeks on the UK Album Charts.
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.6/10[35] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Record Mirror | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sounds | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Daily Vault | A−[39] |
Initial reviews of Brothers in Arms from the UK music press in 1985 were generally negative. In a scathing review for NME, Mat Snow criticised Knopfler's "mawkish self-pity, his lugubriously mannered appropriation of rockin' Americana, his thumpingly crass attempts at wit". He also accused the album of the "tritest would-be melodies in history, the last word in tranquilising chord changes, the most cloying lonesome playing and ultimate in transparently fake troubador sentiment ever to ooze out of a million-dollar recording studio".[40] Eleanor Levy of Record Mirror dismissed the "West Coast guitars reeking of mega bucks and sell out stadium concerts throughout the globe. Laid back melodies. Dire Straits – summed up... This is like any other Dire Straits album quarried out of the tottering edifice of MOR rock."[37]
The reviews from other UK music papers were less harsh, with Jack Barron of Sounds feeling that "it's only a halfway decent album because it has only halfway decent songs... Knopfler has distilled his sonic essence, via blues, to appeal to billboard romantics with cinemascope insecurities. And he can pull it off well... but not often enough here."[38] Melody Maker's Barry McIlheney observed that Knopfler had recently explored different creative directions with his work on movie soundtracks and on Bob Dylan's Infidels, and bemoaned that "this admirable spirit of adventure fails to materialise... Instead it sounds just a bit too like the last Dire Straits album, which sounded not unlike the last one before that, which sounded suspiciously like the beginning of a hugely successful and very lucrative plan to take over the world known as AOR". He concluded, "the old rockschool restraints and the undeniably attractive smell of the winning formula seem to block out any such experimental work and what you end up with is something very like the same old story".[41]
US reviews were more positive. Writing for Spin magazine, E. Brooks praised Knopfler's guitar work and noted that "when the intensity of his words approaches that of his ravishing stratocaster licks, the song soars. That doesn't happen as often as I'd like on this new album [...] but I find myself returning to certain cuts the way one might come back to a favorite chair." Brooks singled out the "haunting ballad" "Your Latest Trick", the "acerbic satire of vid-rock culture" in "Money for Nothing" and the "outstanding craftsmanship in the words and music" of the title track, which was "not a new message, but at least something other than sex, cars, or drugs is being talked about here. Take that and the quality of the musicianship, and you've got a lot."[42] Debby Bull gave the album a mixed review for Rolling Stone magazine, praising the "carefully crafted" effort, writing, "The record is beautifully produced, with Mark Knopfler's terrific guitar work catching the best light". Although she found the lyrics literate, Bull noted that the scenarios "aren't as interesting as they used to be on records like Making Movies". Despite the production values and notable contributions from guest artists like drummer Omar Hakim and the Brecker Brothers, Bull concluded that "the music lacks the ache that made Knopfler's recent soundtracks for Comfort and Joy and Cal so powerful."[43] In Rolling Stone's end-of-year round-up of 1985's key albums, Fred Schruers said that "Knopfler's nimble, evocative guitar style and gentle vocalizing are still as appealing as they were on previous scenario-rich albums".[44]
Later reviews have praised the record. Reviewing the remastered Dire Straits albums in 1996, Rob Beattie of Q awarded Brothers in Arms five stars out of five and wrote that "repeated listening reveals it as a singularly melancholic collection – see the guitar slashing of 'The Man's Too Strong' and the title track, where joy is as sharp as sorrow".[36] In a 2007 review for BBC Music, Chris Jones called Brothers in Arms "a phenomenon on every level... a suite of Knopfler's very fine brand of JJ Cale-lite".[45] In his retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album four out of five stars, crediting the international success of the album not only to the clever computer-animated video for "Money for Nothing", but also to Knopfler's "increased sense of pop songcraft". According to Erlewine, Dire Straits had "never been so concise or pop-oriented, and it wore well on them". Erlewine concluded that the album remains "one of their most focused and accomplished albums, and in its succinct pop sense, it's distinctive within their catalog".[34]
In 2010, when Brothers in Arms was among ten albums nominated for the best British album of the past 30 years by the Brit Awards, music broadcaster and author Paul Gambaccini described the list of nominees as "risible" but added, "Brothers in Arms runs away with it for the quality of songwriting and musicianship."[46][47]
Accolades
[edit]Brothers in Arms won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards[48] (in a first-time occurrence, it had actually been nominated for Best Album a year earlier at the 1986 Brit Awards but lost out to Phil Collins' No Jacket Required, before being nominated again the following year due to its chart longevity).[49] Also in 1986, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while the 20th Anniversary Edition won another Grammy in 2006 for Best Surround Sound Album.[50]
In 2000, Q magazine placed the album at number 51 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.[51] In 2003, the album ranked number 351 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time",[52] and number 352 in a 2012 revised list, and number 418 in the 2020 revision.[53][54] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[55]
In November 2006 the results of a national poll conducted by the public of Australia revealed their top 100 favourite albums. Brothers in Arms came in at number 64 (see "My Favourite Album"). Brothers in Arms is ranked number three in the best albums of 1985 and number 31 in the best albums of the 1980s.[citation needed]
As of July 2016 Brothers in Arms is the eighth-best-selling album of all-time in the UK.[56] In the Netherlands, the album held the record for longest run ever on the Dutch Album chart with 269 weeks (non-consecutive) but was surpassed by Adele's album 21 in 2016.
British music journalist Robert Sandall wrote:
Looked at now with 20/20 vision of hindsight, the image on the sleeve of Brothers in Arms seems uncannily prophetic: that National steel guitar heading up into the clouds—a shiny 6 stringed rocket devoid of any obvious means of propulsion—describes, better than any words can, what happened to Dire Straits after the release of their 5th studio album. Up till the summer of 1985 success had, for them, come as a by-product of the music making process. They had never courted celebrity, chased fads, or played safe. Dire Straits had been loved and respected as one of the few bands to have maintained strong and credible links with the multifarious roots of rock and roll at a time—remember all the desperate pop posing of the early 80s?—when roots were emphatically not a fashionable place to be.[57]
Awards and nominations
Year | Ceremony | Nominated work | Recipient(s) | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Brit Awards | Brothers in Arms | Dire Straits | Best British Album | Nominated[49] |
1986 | Grammy Awards | Dire Straits Neil Dorfsman and Mark Knopfler, producers |
Album of the Year | Nominated[50] | |
Neil Dorfsman, engineer | Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Won[50] | |||
Juno Awards | Dire Straits | Best Selling International Album | Won[58] | ||
1987 | Brit Awards | Best British Album | Won[48] | ||
2006 | Grammy Awards | Brothers in Arms (20th Anniversary Edition) | Chuck Ainlay, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Chuck Ainlay and Mark Knopfler, surround producer | Best Surround Sound Album | Won[50] |
Track listings
[edit]All songs written by Mark Knopfler, except "Money for Nothing", written by Knopfler and Sting. The CD and cassette versions feature full versions of "So Far Away", "Money for Nothing", "Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry". Because of this, side two of the cassette version has about 10 minutes of blank tape.
No. | Title | Cassette No. | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "So Far Away" | A1 | 5:12 |
2. | "Money for Nothing" | A2 | 8:25 |
3. | "Walk of Life" | A3 | 4:12 |
4. | "Your Latest Trick" | A4 | 6:33 |
5. | "Why Worry" | A5 | 8:31 |
6. | "Ride Across the River" | B1 | 6:58 |
7. | "The Man's Too Strong" | B2 | 4:40 |
8. | "One World" | B3 | 3:40 |
9. | "Brothers in Arms" | B4 | 7:00 |
Total length: | 55:15 |
Single LP track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "So Far Away" | 3:59 |
2. | "Money for Nothing" (Mark Knopfler, Sting) | 7:04 |
3. | "Walk of Life" | 4:12 |
4. | "Your Latest Trick" | 4:46 |
5. | "Why Worry" | 5:22 |
Total length: | 25:23 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Ride Across the River" | 6:58 |
2. | "The Man's Too Strong" | 4:40 |
3. | "One World" | 3:40 |
4. | "Brothers in Arms" | 7:00 |
Total length: | 22.19 47:42 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from album liner notes.[59]
Dire Straits
|
Additional musicians
|
Production
[edit]- Mark Knopfler – producer
- Neil Dorfsman – producer, engineer, mixing
- Dave Greenberg – assistant engineer
- Steve Jackson – assistant engineer
- Bruce Lampcov – assistant engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York, USA)
- John Dent – mastering at The Sound Clinic (London, UK)
- Thomas Steyer – cover painting
- Sutton Cooper – sleeve design
- Deborah Feingold – photography
Charts
[edit]- In the Netherlands, the album broke the all-time record for most weeks on chart, with 269 non-consecutive weeks (since overtaken by Adele's 21 and the Buena Vista Social Club's eponymous debut album).[63]
- In the UK, the album spent 14 weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart,[64] and as of August 2018 has spent 271 weeks on the chart.[65]
- In the United States, the album reached number one on the Billboard 200 and remained there for nine weeks.[66]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications and sales
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF)[131] | Gold | 30,000^ |
Australia (ARIA)[133] | 17× Platinum | 1,240,000[132] |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[134] | 4× Platinum | 200,000* |
Belgium (BEA)[135] | 4× Platinum | 200,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[136] | 3× Platinum | 750,000[136] |
Canada (Music Canada)[137] | Diamond | 1,000,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[138] | 6× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[139] | 2× Platinum | 116,784[139] |
France (SNEP)[141] | Diamond | 2,000,000[140] |
Germany (BVMI)[142] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[143] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Italy (FIMI)[144] sales 1985-1987 |
Platinum | 500,000[144] |
Italy (FIMI)[145] sales since 2009 |
Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Netherlands | — | 470,387[146] |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[147] | 24× Platinum | 360,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV)[148] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
South Africa | — | 100,000[149] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[150] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
Sweden (GLF)[151] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[152] | 6× Platinum | 300,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[152] 1996 release |
Platinum | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[153] | 14× Platinum | 4,300,000[56] |
United States (RIAA)[154] | 9× Platinum | 9,000,000^ |
Zimbabwe | — | 5,000[155] |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 30,000,000[8] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
[edit]- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
- List of best-selling albums in Australia
- List of best-selling albums in Austria
- List of best-selling albums in France
- List of best-selling albums in New Zealand
References
[edit]- ^ Dire Straits Live in 85/86 concert tour program
- ^ "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (PDF). Music Week. 11 May 1985. p. 44. Retrieved 17 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (11 June 2011). "Brothers in Arms popularises the CD". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ BPI [@bpi_music] (1 April 2017). "The first ever album to go 10× Platinum in the UK was Dire Straits' 'Brothers In Arms', released in 1985 #bpiAwards44" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 April 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (4 July 2016). "The UK's 60 official biggest selling albums of all time revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ^ "Brothers in Arms (album)". RIAA. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "Queen head all-time sales chart". BBC News. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Mark Knopfler hurt in crash". BBC News. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ Brothers in Arms (album) (booklet). Dire Straits. Warner Bros. Records. 1985. p. 5. 947773-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Buskin, Richard (May 2006). "Classic Tracks: Dire Straits 'Money For Nothing'". Sound on Sound. pp. 134–39. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d Flanagan, Bill (September 1985). "Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler: An Inside Look at the Outside Man". Musician. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Terry Williams — Strait Foundation". Moderndrummer.com. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ Terry Williams Interview March 2013 (soundcloud) (around 1:01:39, 1:02:13-1:03:40)
- ^ "How Dire Straits Shattered Expectations with 'Brothers in Arms'". 13 May 2015.
- ^ "Classic Tracks: Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"". February 1999.
- ^ a b Strong, M.C. (1998) The Great Rock Discography, p. 207.
- ^ a b "Session Madness: Tales from Inside the Groove" - article by Neil Jason in Bass Magazine, 19 July 2022
- ^ Rose, James (15 September 2015). "30 Years Since: Dire Straits' 'Brothers in Arms' Album". Daily Review. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
The opening tracks are pretty conventional pop-rock chart shooters
- ^ "MTV ready to rock Russia". BBC News Online. 25 September 1998. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
But the channel's continental incarnation- MTV Europe- (...) was launched in 1987 with the first video- beamed into 1.6 million paying households- being Dire Straits' Money for Nothing.
- ^ "When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for 'Money for Nothing'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Summer of 1985: Eleven Top Music Moments Remembered". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "New version of 'Brothers in Arms' to raise funds for Falklands veterans". Fundraising.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Mark Knopfler: "The Six Guitars That Defined My Career"". 12 December 2016.
- ^ "Dire Straits/Brothers in Arms". BBC. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- ^ "It was 20 — or maybe not — years ago today". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2006.
- ^ Brothers In Arms (Booklet). Dire Straits. Vertigo (824 499-2). 1996.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Brothers In Arms (Booklet). Dire Straits. Vertigo (5483572). 2000.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Brothers In Arms (Booklet). Dire Straits. Vertigo (9871497). 2005.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "High Fidelity Review - Interview with Chuck Ainlay, who remixed album in 5.1". Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
- ^ Billboard 18 Feb 2006 Billboard Retrieved: 30 December 2010.
- ^ Brothers In Arms (Booklet). Dire Straits. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (UDSACD 2099). 2013.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Brothers In Arms (Media notes). Dire Straits. Vertigo (3752907). 2014.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Brothers In Arms (Media notes). Dire Straits. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL 2-441). 2015.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brothers in Arms". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
...what kept the record selling was Mark Knopfler's increased sense of pop songcraft
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (23 September 2020). "Dire Straits: Dire Straits Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b Beattie, Rob (July 1996). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Q. No. 118. p. 141.
- ^ a b Levy, Eleanor (18 May 1985). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Record Mirror. p. 14.
- ^ a b Barron, Jack (18 May 1985). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Sounds. p. 30.
- ^ Warburg, Jason (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Brothers in Arms". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ Snow, Mat (18 May 1985). "Ferry-Cross, No Mercy". NME. p. 24.
- ^ McIlheney, Barry (18 May 1985). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Melody Maker. p. 29.
- ^ Brooks, E. (August 1985). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Spin. p. 30.
- ^ Bull, Debby (4 July 1985). "Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms". Rolling Stone. No. 451. p. 49. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ Schruers, Fred (19 December 1985). "The Year in Records 1985". Rolling Stone. No. 463–464. p. 150.
- ^ Jones, Chris (2007). "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms – Review". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
- ^ Bignell, Paul; Harmon, Will (14 February 2010). "Better than the Brits: The IoS offers an alternative selection". The Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ Wilkinson, Matt (16 February 2010). "Liam Gallagher snubs Noel as Oasis win Brit Album Of 30 Years award". NME. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Brit Awards 1987". Brit Awards. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Brit Awards 1986". Brit Awards. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Dire Straits: GRAMMY Award History". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ "Q lists: The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever", Q Magazine, UK, retrieved 26 December 2011
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 351 Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael, eds. (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
- ^ a b Gumble, Daniel (5 July 2016). "UK's 60 Biggest Selling Albums of All Time". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ CD sleeve of the remastered 1996 version of the album. Retrieved on 9 April 2012.
- ^ "Junos: Search Awards". Juno Awards. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ Brothers in Arms (liner notes). Dire Straits. Vertigo. 1985. 824 499-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Illsley, John (2021). My Life in Dire Straits. Random House. ISBN 978-1-473587-94-6.
We brought in a number of other top session musicians (...), including (...) Neil Jason, who helped out on the song 'One World'. This needed a funk bass sound, which I don't do but Neil does very well.
- ^ Illsley, John (2021). My Life in Dire Straits. Random House. ISBN 978-1-473587-94-6.
We brought in a number of other top session musicians (...), including bassist Tony Levin, who played on 'Why Worry' (...). Tony played a bass instrument called a Chapman Stick (...).
- ^ Musician Issues 87-92 (1986) page 82 on Google Books
- ^ "Top aller tijden – Albums". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (22 June 2018). "Albums with the most weeks at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Brothers in Arms – full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Kent 1993, p. 90.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in German). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0572". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 23. 10 June 1985. p. 18. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 20. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 12.04.2024–18.04.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Dire Straits Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ Kent 1993, p. 437.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1985". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "RPM's Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. 28 December 1985. p. 14. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Bakker, Machgiel; Inglis, Cathy (23 December 1985). "Pan-European Awards 1985" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 51/52. p. 7. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Topp 40 Album Høst 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ "Topp 40 Album Sommer 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1985". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985)" (PDF). Music Week. 18 January 1986. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Kent 1993, p. 438.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1986". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1986". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – CD 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1987" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Gallup Year End Charts 1987 – Albums" (PDF). Record Mirror. 23 January 1988. p. 37. ISSN 0144-5804 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums – Year-End Chart 1988" (PDF). Music Week Awards. Music Week. 4 March 1989. p. 8. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2019 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Årslista Album, 2019" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2020 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Årslista Album, 2020" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2021 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Årslista Album, 2021" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2022" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2022". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Årslista Album, 2022" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2023" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2023". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Årslista Album, 2023". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Kent 1993.
- ^ Jones, Alan (16 December 1989). "Chartfile". Record Mirror. p. 45. ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ Savage, Mark (9 October 2020). "U2's Joshua Tree voted the best album of the 1980s". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum Certifications". CAPIF (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "The Music Australia Loved". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2022". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ a b Tarik de Souza (12 September 1991). "Volta os campeões de audiência". Jornal do Brasil (in Portuguese). p. 38. Retrieved 23 October 2023 – via National Library of Brazil.
Alam da platina tripla pelos 750 mil copias de Brothers in Arms, a banda de Mark Knopfler garimpou entre nos duas platina dimples de 250 mil cada (Alchemy, o primeiro que estourou, em 84, e coletânea Money for Nothing, de 8) e um disco de ouro (no LP de estreia Dire Straits, de 79)
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Music Canada.
- ^ "Danish album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Dire Straits" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- ^ "Dire Straits était devenu trop gros". Le Parisien. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "French album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Dire Straits; 'Brothers in Arms')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
- ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1988". IFPI Hong Kong.
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 December 1987. p. 44. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Italian album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 22 January 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Brothers in Arms" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ^ Hoos, Willem (16 December 1989). "Group Has Sold More Than 2 Mil Disks - Dutch Delight In Dire Straits - Dutch Delight in Dire Straits" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966-2006. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
- ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 February 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Brothers in Arms in the search box.
- ^ "Richie LP Hits Big In South Africa". Billboard. 13 September 1986. Retrieved 1 June 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Sólo Éxitos 1959-2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979-1990". Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2002" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Brothers In Arms')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- ^ "British album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ Baker, Glenn A. (19 December 1987). "Record Industry Resists Piracy in Zimbabwe" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 51. p. 57. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Bibliography
[edit]- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
External links
[edit]- Brothers in Arms at Mark Knopfler's website